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Sewing machine operators and garment makers

he Navy Line, making Navy clothes at the Lotary Naval Garment Factory. All these girls are wives or sweethearts of sailors. Many of them put little notes inside the clothes, hoping they will get a reply from their menfolk. Producing uniforms and waterproofs for the navy during the WW2

Despite once beeing a booming industry, textile manufacturing in Britain has been in decline since the 1970s.

Between 1979 and 2013, output fell by 64.7% and the number of people employed fell from 851,000 to 85,000.

Things have changed a lot since the days of huge factory operations producing clothes in the UK - especially with the rise of cheap manufacturing abroad.

Despite the steady decline in garment manufacturing, there are still some opportunities in this industry in Liverpool.

Try and Lilly have been manufacturing headwear in Liverpool for over 150 years, specialising in military uniform caps, hats and headwear for police, army, navy and airforce.

Recently they advertised vacancies for a clothing production worker and a cutting room assistant.

There is also a vacancy for a sewing machinist at We Are Cow vintage clothes shop on Bold Street, who need an experienced machinist to join their ‘rework’ department.

The role involves taking damaged, oversized or outdated pieces and transforming them into high quality, fashion-led best sellers.

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Independent bookseller

News From Nowhere, Bold Street, Liverpool

The number of independent booksellers in the UK has fallen for 11 consecutive years, almost halving from 1,535 in 2005 to 897 in 2017.

It’s getting harder and harder for independent booksellers to compete with online retailers, thanks to the scrapping of something called the “net book agreement” which ensured that all books were sold at roughly the same price.

Massive online retailers like Amazon and the rise of audiobook subscription services like Audible have eclipsed small independent booksellers.

Despite this, News From Nowhere is still proudly selling books on Bold Street, as well as Henry Bohn Books and Kernaghan Books on Bold Street, proving Liverpool still has an appetite for independent retailers.